If you don't think chocolate and peppermint belong together, we can't be friends. 

 When I was little I'd always order chocolate mint ice cream. No matter what. 

This creation has taken years to come to perfect. I was always awarded with food or offered it when I wasn't happy. For so long I was an emotional eater and I had the extra 20 pounds to prove it. 

In the last 10 years, I have completely changed my relationship to food and my body. I've had a lot of healing (and still so much more to go). This is why I'm so passionate to share delicious, nutritious, and healing recipes and messages. When we become our own advocate for our health and reclaim our power, everything shifts. 

 Along the way, I've also learned that, smoothies can serve many needs. They can be a quick and nutrient-dense meal, snack, or dessert! 

This recipe is so yummy, even the kids love it! 

Let's do this...  

Gut Healthy Chocolate Peppermint Smoothie 

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Do you love dips? 

I LOVE dips... I love using clean ingredient chips like Siete brand or sliced veggies as vehicles to get the dips into my mouth. 

Making dips like this one, classic homemade hummus, and cilantro-infused guacamole is a strategy so that when I am STARVING and HANGRY, I can find a satiating, delicious, and healthy snack. I swear by simple lifestyle hacks like just preparing for when you know you will be weak! 

Just keep it simple. Food is to be enjoyed AND nourishing. Yes it can be both! 

Let's do this... 

White Bean Hummus 

Ingredients: 

• 2 cans organic white beans (cannellini beans) 
• 2 small to medium garlic cloves, whole
• 1 tsp dried or fresh oregano 
• 1 tsp sea salt (My favorite it Celtic Sea Salt)
• 1/2 tsp cumin 
• Juice from 1 lemon
• 4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil 
• Black pepper to taste 

Instructions: 

1. Put all ingredients in a food processor or high powered blender. 
2. Process...

What I've learned about fueling the body with whole, real, clean food is that you can eat all the things you love, all you have to do is elevate and upgrade the ingredients! 

This is a dish the whole family loves! When I'm not on a cleanse, I'll put the beef into Siete brand tortillas or taco shells. On cleanse, I just put it all in a bowl and go to town! 

I was born in, and currently live in New Mexico where these dishes are staples in our weekly menu. The question is always, red or green chile? 

Whether you like spicy food or not, you can modify this dish the way you like it! I give you three beautiful parts to this dish and you can modify as you see fit! 

Let's do this... 

Divine & Delicious Burrito Bowls 

Serves 4 

Meat Base Ingredients: 

• 1 pound grass-fed beef
• 1/2 yellow, white or red onion, diced 
• 1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, diced 
• 3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
• 2 tbsp of high heat oil, I use avocado oil or...

I LOVE this dish… It truly is healing.

I first tried this recipe on a yoga retreat. My beautiful step-mother-in-law created it for dinner one evening and I was hooked!

I LOVED how delicious and nurturing the dish felt. The smell, texture, and brightness of the spices lures any human, who is pulled to healing, right in.

Kitchari (kitch-a-ree) is a healing soup that is gently formulated with mung beans and rice along with other ingredients to restore proper nutrition back into the body. The soup itself is meant to calm the intestinal track and relight the ‘angi,’ or fire, in the belly.

In Eastern Ayurvedic teachings, proper health and nutrition begin in the digestive tract. Kitchari cleansing involves a mono-diet that is easy for the body to break down and process with each day targeting a specific organ.” (Source)

There are several variations to a basic kitcheri recipe and the one below is basic, easy to start with, and balancing to all three doshas (vata,...

I'm always looking for delicious and nourishing dishes that not only make me feel good, heal my gut, but taste freaking amazing! 

This miso bone broth is SO simple, requires only 5 ingredients! Well only 2 if you nix the gelatin and sea salt! Gelatin is totally optional, it just provides more support and healing for the gut! 

Miso does 5 things for our body: 

1. It contains probiotics that supports our gut's natural balance and helps promote healthy digestion
2. Supports our immune system. Up to 70% of our immune system is housed in our guts! So keeping our gut healthy supports our immune system! Boom! 
3. It's good for our brain! Miso contains choline & b-vitmains that support cognitive function and development. 
4. Good for our blood! Rich in vitamin K, miso can help our blood clot! 
5. Great source of electrolytes! Full of minerals it can help replebnish our electrolyte stores! Combined with hydrating broth, it's a win/win for our soul-home! 

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Once you make this, I guarantee it will become a staple in your home... cashews are full of healthy fats, rich in minerals, antioxidants, and taste delicious. 

It's so simple to make homemade nut butters and there are many ways to consume them! 

Here are some of my favorite ways I use cashew butter:

• Slathered on apples or celery
• Use in smoothies to make them more delicious than you can imagine.
• Subbed in any dish asking for nut butters like peanut, almond, etc.
• Use in Asian dishes & sauces
• Add to salad dressings! 
• Perfect in raw desserts!  
• Smothered on a toasted slice of sourdough bread, topped with honey, and hemp seeds. OMG, so good! 

Ingredients: 

• 5 cups organic raw unsalted cashews (4 cups to roast and 1 cup raw)
• 1 tsp Celtic salt or any sea salt will do.

Tools Needed:

• Baking Sheet
• Parchment Paper
• Food Processor 

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Line a baking sheet with unbleached parchment...

Learning how to make homemade salad dressings is such an important life skill...

...okay well maybe not a life skill but it sure does making eating and dipping veggies easier, more nutrient (yes eating veggies with ample fat is SO important), and SO much more delicious. 

The trick to making delicious salad dressing are these components: 

1.  Garlic & Onions 

   Garlic - 
   Fresh pressed, crushed, or diced garlic not only adds so much flavor and balance to dressings, it also is a gut superfood! Unless you are allergic, it's a food that is perfect to include daily. It's pretty much included in every savory meal I cook. 
   
   Onions -
   Diced red, yellow, white, green onions are all recommended to use. Take your pick. My favorite onion for dressings are shallots! They have a slight sweetness that really ups the flavor profile. Chives are also amazingly flavorful and delicious. 

2. The right kind of healthy fat - 

   Healthy fats should be included in EVERY...

This is a simple salad that can be thrown together in a matter of minutes. It's so good for digestion and giving us the fiber we need for a healthy gut! 

 Kale has so many health benefits! It promotes detoxification, skin health, has tons of antioxidants, and has ample fiber... which we all need more of in our diets! Pair kale with lemon juice, also super detoxifying, onion, which our gut bugs love to eat, and extra virgin olive oil, the healthy fat... you have magic! 

The nuts add more healthy fat to help you absorb all of those amazing fat-soluble vitamins! 

The trick to making curly kale easier to eat, massage it with oil! It breaks down the hard fibers! Sautéing kale is also one of my favorite side dishes... I'll post that recipe soon too. 

Okay enough chit-chat... let's do this: 

 Ingredients: 

• 1 bunch of organic curly kale 
• 1/2 small white onion, diced 
• Juice from 1-2 lemons
• 4 Tbsps. grated parmesan
• 1/2 cup roasted pine...

This salad is my most loved. It's my go-to when I'm headed to a BBQ or a get together... because no matter what is served, this salad is a meal in itself! Packed with fiber, antioxidants, and TONS of nutrients... it's worth EVERY amount of effort. 

I highly recommend making 2 batches of this. The dressing is SOOOO freaking yummy and is good on any vegetable known to man. It can even be used as a marinade. 

The base of the salad combines super antioxidant rich vegetables that nourish your body. Red cabbage boosts the immune system as it is one of the top vitamin C foods on the planet!! It helps fight inflammation, arthritis, AND promotes a healthy gut!

Cilantro is AMAZING at removing heavy metals from our body such as aluminum, arsenic, and cadmium! (Source) Also this salad is full of plant protein! The amount of quinoa in this salad boasts 12 grams of protein! Combing with raw garlic and ginger? Come on! What more do you need in a salad? NOTHING!

Serving food that...

I must say that making your very own coconut yogurt feels like such a huge accomplishment! As I discussed in another blog post, The Benefits of Fermented Foods and How to Eat More of Them, making your own coconut yogurt can be an easy way to get good probiotics and healthy gut-healing properties into your and your family's bellies! 

Check out my video above to learn how you can easily make this in 12 hours! 

Here's what you need: 

Starter Yogurt - This can be a store-bought coconut yogurt like GT's Cocoyo or another clean option. You just need a couple tablespoons. Once your batch is ready you can always use that as your starter to make your next batch! 

Coconut Cream - I love Trader Joe's organic canned options. It's affordable and super fatty and yummy! Any coconut cream will do, just make sure it's void of any gums or preservatives! 

Hand Mixer or Blender - This is helpful when you have coconut cream that is separated, especially when it's cold......